n the other two, and,
leaping over them, he bounded away into the darkness. Shrill piercing
yells behind him lent him wings.

But he ran right into another group of I.W.W. men, dozens in number, he
thought, and by the light of what appeared to be a fire they saw him as
quickly as he saw them. The yells behind were significant enough. Kurt
had to turn to run back, and he had to run the gauntlet of the men he
had assaulted. They promptly began to shoot at Kurt. The whistle of lead
was uncomfortably close. Never had he run so fleetly. When he flashed
past the end of the line of cars, into comparative open, he found
himself in the light of a new fire. This was a shed perhaps a score of
rods or less from the station. Some one was yelling beyond this, and
Kurt thought he recognized Jerry's voice, but he did not tarry to make
sure. Bullets scattering the gravel ahead of him and singing around his
head, and hoarse cries behind, with a heavy-booted tread of pursuers,
gave Kurt occasion to hurry. He flew across the freight-yard, intending
to distance his pursuers, then circle round the station to the village.

Once he looked back. The gang, well spread out, was not far behind him,
just coming into the light of the new fire. No one in it could ever
catch him, of that Kurt was sure.

Suddenly a powerful puff of air, like a blast of wind, seemed to lift
him. At the same instant a dazzling, blinding, yellow blaze illuminated
the whole scene. The solid earth seemed to rock under Kurt's flying
feet, and then a terrific roar appalled him. He was thrown headlong
through the air, and all about him seemed streaks and rays and bursts of
fire. He alighted to plow through the dirt until the momentum of force
had been expended. Then he lay prone, gasping and choking, almost blind,
but sensitive to the rain of gravel and debris, the fearful cries of
terrified men, taste of smoke and dust, and the rank smell of exploded
gasoline.

Kurt got up to grope his way through the murky darkness. He could escape
now. If that explosion had not killed his pursuers it had certainly
scared them off. He heard men running and yelling off to the left. A
rumble of a train came from below the village. Finally Kurt got clear of
the smoke, to find that he had wandered off into one of the fields
opposite the station. Here he halted to rest a little and to take
cognizance of his condition. It surprised him to find out that he was
only bruised, scratched, and sore.